The Future of Customer Service — What Top Brands Learned at Gladly Connect Live 2025

From March 5-7, over 300 customer experience leaders gathered in Nashville for Gladly Connect Live 2025, where the future of customer service took center stage.

The message was clear: AI isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about creating radically personal experiences that drive loyalty and revenue. As brands work to meet rising customer expectations, AI is evolving beyond simple automation — it’s becoming a true service partner that enhances human interactions, strengthens relationships, and fuels long-term business growth.

At Gladly Connect Live 2025, top brands shared real-world successes, discussed industry shifts, and explored how AI and CX are evolving together. Here’s what stood out.

Industry Leaders Shared Real-World Success Stories

The event featured insights from customer-obsessed brands that are using AI to transform their service models:

Crate & Barrel — Turning Service into a Revenue Driver

Kate Showalter, VP of Customer Experience at Crate & Barrel, discussed how the brand is using AI-powered service to drive sales. With AI handling routine inquiries, agents can shift from reactive problem-solvers to proactive sales enablers — offering product recommendations, assisting with design consultations, and deepening customer relationships.

Key takeaway: Customer service isn’t just about solving problems; it’s a growth engine when AI empowers agents to add value.

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Rothy’s — Scaling Personalization Without Losing the Human Touch

Lauren Inman-Semerau, VP of Customer Experience at Rothy’s, highlighted the delicate balance of scaling service while keeping interactions personal. AI has helped the team maintain personalized, human-like engagement even during peak demand, ensuring every customer feels valued, no matter how large the brand grows.

Key takeaway: Personalization at scale is possible when AI is built to assist, not replace.

Breeze Airways — Bringing AI-Powered Empathy to Travel

Danny Cox, VP of Guest Experience at Breeze Airways, spoke on how AI and empathetic service can co-exist in the high-stakes world of travel. By handling transactional requests instantly (like flight changes or baggage claims), AI allows agents to focus on what matters most, reassuring anxious travelers, resolving complex issues, and delivering standout experiences.

Key takeaway: AI enhances human connection by freeing agents to handle high-value, high-emotion interactions.

StockX — Meeting Gen Z’s Demand for Instant, Authentic Service

With Gen Z prioritizing speed and authenticity, StockX’s Andy Lisk shared how chat is quickly overtaking email as the go-to support channel for younger consumers. AI-driven messaging ensures that support is fast, natural, and available 24/7, meeting Gen Z where they are.

Key takeaway: Real-time, conversational support is becoming the standard for younger consumers.

5 Key Insights That Defined the Event

Beyond the brand stories, several powerful themes emerged from Gladly Connect Live 2025:

1. AI Is Most Powerful When It Enhances Human Agents, Not Replaces Them

Many companies still view AI as a cost-cutting tool — but leading brands use AI to elevate customer experience, not just deflect inquiries. The most successful AI implementations focus on engagement, personalization, and efficiency — working alongside agents to create seamless experiences.

2. Voice Support Is Evolving, Fast

Among the product innovations unveiled was Gladly’s Sidekick for Voice, a solution that answers customer inquiries, processes actions like refunds and order updates, and intelligently transitions to human agents when needed. With AI-powered voice assistance, brands can scale phone support without sacrificing quality.

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Natural onversations, instant resolution, and no hold music.

SIDEKICK ON VOICE

3. AI Is Helping Agents Drive Revenue, Not Just Resolve Tickets

With AI managing routine, repetitive tasks, agents are spending more time providing high-value service — recommending products, assisting with custom orders, and strengthening customer relationships.

4. IT and CX Collaboration Is Essential for AI Success

One major takeaway? AI isn’t just a CX decision — it’s an IT priority, too. Brands that align their CX and tech teams early in the AI adoption process prevent service friction before it happens — ensuring a smooth, strategic rollout.

5. Gen Z Expects Instant, Real-Time Support

Younger consumers don’t want to wait for email responses — they expect service to be instant, conversational, and mobile-friendly. Brands that prioritize AI-powered chat and messaging will be better positioned to meet the demands of this fast-moving customer base.

Beyond Business: A Complete Experience

Of course, Gladly Connect Live 2025 wasn’t all business. Attendees had the chance to explore Nashville’s iconic venues, including a private event at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and test-drive Gladly’s latest innovations, including:

• Sidekick for Social – AI-powered support for social media interactions.
• Real-time translation capabilities – AI-powered multilingual service.
• Advanced conversation analytics – Actionable insights to improve CX.

This mix of thought leadership, hands-on innovation, and community-building created an event experience that left attendees inspired and ready to implement new strategies.

Looking Ahead to Gladly Connect Live 2026

Gladly Connect Live 2025 proved that AI is no longer a futuristic concept — it’s here, and it’s redefining customer experience today. The brands that embrace AI as a strategic enabler will build deeper relationships, create better service experiences, and gain a lasting competitive advantage.

For those who joined us, the insights gained will shape CX strategies for months to come. And for those who missed it? The future of customer experience moves fast. We’ll see you at Gladly Connect Live 2026.

Learn more about the upcoming Gladly Connect Live 2025 virtual experience

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